Monday, February 04, 2013

TarenSK on why Aaron Swartz died

I believe Aaron’s death was caused by exhaustion, by fear, and by uncertainty. I believe that Aaron’s death was caused by a
persecution and a prosecution that had already wound on for 2 years
(what happened to our right to a speedy trial?) and had already drained
all of his financial resources. I believe that Aaron’s
death was caused by a criminal justice system that prioritizes power
over mercy, vengeance over justice; a system that punishes innocent
people for trying to prove their innocence instead of accepting plea
deals that mark them as criminals in perpetuity; a system where
incentives and power structures align for prosecutors to destroy the
life of an innovator like Aaron in the pursuit of their own ambitions."